In a last-minute decision, Los Angeles authorities saved the legendary Marilyn Monroe’s home from demolition – putting an end to the current owners’ plans.

During a meeting last night, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously 12-0 to place the iconic property on the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments.

The mansion – the only home the star had ever owned, where she died on August 4, 1962, 6 months after buying it – was designated a historic landmark and is now protected by law.

The current owners – a wealthy real estate heiress and her reality TV producer husband – claim the city used “unconstitutional” methods to prevent them from demolishing the residence.

“We have an opportunity to do something today that should have been done 60 years ago. There is no other person or place in the city of Los Angeles as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her home in Brentwood,” said City Council member Traci Park before the vote.

“Some of the most famous photographs were taken inside this house, on this plot and near its swimming pool. “Marilyn died here tragically, which links her forever, in time and space, to this place,” he added.

“Losing this piece of history, the only home Marilyn ever owned, would be a devastating blow to the city’s historic preservation,” he said.

The history of the house and the battle to save it

Marilyn Monroe had acquired this one-story hacienda of 270 square meters in 1962, shortly after her divorce from author Arthur Miller, in her attempt to regain some semblance of privacy.

In this house, invisible from the street, the actress was found dead just six months later due to an overdose of drugs at the age of just 36.

After her death, and since there were no heirs, the house changed hands several times.

Last year it was bought by Brianna Milstein, a wealthy heiress, and Roy Banks, a reality TV producer.

The couple, who own a house next door, acquired the residence for $8.35 million with plans to demolish it to expand their own property.

But the demolition permit they issued was hastily canceled by the city because of the historical stake.

This decision prompted the new owners to take the case to the courts, which have not yet ruled on its merits.

The city’s designation of the house as a historic monument does not prohibit its demolition. But this requires a thorough check by the municipal committee of public heritage.

The couple have proposed relocating the house to make it accessible to fans, who are still fascinated by the actress. That option is still under consideration, according to Park.

“My team and myself worked closely with the owners to consider moving the house to a place where the public could actually visit and spend time there,” the councilor explained.